When service is now provided to the public by civil servants, an individual receiving such service is able to rate, on the spot, the quality of attention rendered to them. This is made possible through the use of suggestion boxes at the counter where the service was delivered.
The suggestion box method of reporting service quality was launched on Tuesday morning, January 22nd , at the Internal Revenue Department. That office is being used as a pilot post for customer service feedback.
Mr. Ken Hodge, Principal Assistant Secretary, Public Administration, explained: “The public now has an opportunity to say whether or not they are pleased with the service they receive. If someone is pleased he or she will drop, a green token in the suggestion box. If the person is not so pleased, a red token will be dropped in the box. This is a non-confrontational mechanism that would enable the customer to rate the services provided.”
Mr. Hodge went on: “Through this method of feedback, we are hoping to improve the quality and level of service that the Government of Anguilla provides. In addition to the green and red tokens, the suggestion box also features a card upon which the customer may write any issues that he or she might have with the service, or any compliment that may be accorded to the person rendering the service.”
Mr. Hodge mentioned that this method does not give Government a signal that any of the service officers should be fired or penalized in any way. It is rather a means of government keeping its game up in terms of service improvement to the public and a high level of professionalism. He noted that within the coming weeks, similar suggestion boxes will be posted at all government service outlets, such as the General Post Office, Customs and Immigration,
The Deputy Governor, Mr. Perin Bradley, made his remarks on the suggestion box: “This may seem like a very simple matter, but ii reality the public service is keenly interested in knowing what the public thinks of the services that we provide, he explained. This is a very unsophisticated, simple mechanism for members of the public who are being served to give us their feedback in real time. We really want to capture the public’s views as to how public servants deliver their services.”
The next launching was that of a signage plaque on the wall of the Internal Revenue Department indicating the qualities of the Anguilla Public service with its mission and vision statements as follows: The MISSION: ‘The Anguilla Public Service is in the business of promoting and managing sustainable social and economic development for the benefit of the population of Anguilla. VISION: ‘The Anguilla Public Service is a highly trained, motivated & customer-oriented organization which implements the policies of government effectively and efficiently, and adapts readily to the changing environment in which it operates.’
The qualities of the Public Service are as follows: Citizen Focused, Talented, Accountable & Transparent, Efficient & Effective, Informed & Engaged. The Deputy Governor, was present to reveal the signage. He commented: “The public service exists for the purpose of serving the public, and to make sure that every Anguillian has the opportunity of being properly served. So we are citizen focused in our prime purpose of service, and we must always make sure that we are focused on the needs of our citizens, the tax-paying public.”
